Time Out.

Life is telling me that it's time to take another blog break. Need to spend my energy focusing on family and some big changes. I wish you all a happy Fall. Enjoy! Later dudes...

Happily Haunted.

Here's a little piece of Halloween subway art for you. This design will be available as a rubber stamp next year, but I thought I'd share it now as a 5x7 color layout suitable for framing. If you'd rather have a pdf, or even an 8x10 layout, let me know and I would be happy to send it on over.

That's it for now. Lots going on this week. Hope you're having a good one!

The Word Is: Prayer

Have you heard of Bishop Higgins? Well, he is probably one of my favorite people named Higgins, and he also happens to be high-larious. The following is from his recent post on the Modern Mormon Men blog, and I just had to share it. Let us pray. Enjoy...

Our world is going to hell in a hand-basket, but that's no reason why we should stop going boating or learning a new skill, like whittling. But it is a reason why we should increase our prayers and give the people that need our help a gentle push from angels above.

I know what you're thinking. But Bishop, after we've asked for these donuts to nourish and strengthen our bodies, what else should we pray for? I'm so glad you asked because I have a mighty good list for you to consider.

1. Anyone who has fallen down a well and is still down there.
2. Not often, but every once in a while, you'll meet someone that still says, "You go girl." Let us pray for them.
3. I'm constantly praying that mosquitoes will become less "stingy." Won't you please join me in that prayer.
4. Let us pray that the U.S. continues to stockpile weapons just like Porter Rockwell and Jesus would want us to do.
5. Lazy people.
6. It's not a serious problem, but probably forgotten, so let us pray that very tall people (6 foot 5 inches and up) will be able to find attractive slacks -- without pleats -- without having to drive around to four different stores.
7. Let us pray for people that put sweaters on tiny dogs. They need our help.
8. Mitt Romney.
9. I think we should pray for limerick writers to come up with other things that rhyme with Nantucket.
10. Mitt Romney.

Skeletons & Spiders, Oh My!

It's getting a little spooky up in here...

Hope your October is off to a good start!

"When witches are riding and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers, 'tis near Halloween!" —unknown

The Word is: Money

I try to make this blog an uplifting and inspiring place, so please forgive me if today's post is more of a downer but this is important information and I feel I should share it. I saw something this morning that made me queasy, and I had to turn off the television and put my head down on my pillow for a minute. According to the report I saw, our nation's government (the good old USA) spent nearly 1.3 trillion dollars more than it took in in the past twelve months, which translates to over $10,000 per American household. That's just this year. Alone. Spending so much more than the government takes in is a very dangerous trend. The total national debt is currently north of 16 trillion dollars. That's sixteen thousand-billion dollars (I think). Can you fathom that amount of money? I certainly can't. And I don't know about you, but this makes me completely sick. It does help me feel just a little better about my own family's financial health in comparison with our nation's, but people, we are all in this together and the fiscal path our country is on is simply not sustainable. Living within our means... what a concept. Makes sense to me. Just something to think about as the presidential election draws near... God bless (and God help) America!

"Our nation stands at the crossroads of liberty."  —James Lankford

"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt."  —Thomas Jefferson

"It is a terrible situation when the government, to insure the national wealth, must go into debt and submit to ruinous interest charges, at the hands of men, who control the fictitious value of gold. Interest is the invention of Satan."  —Thomas Jefferson

"... What good is gold? You could not eat it, drink it, wear it, or carry it off where you could have something to eat. The time will come that gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat. Gold is not to be compared with it in value... Gold is good for nothing, only as men value it. It is no better than a piece of iron."  —Brigham Young

Falling...

Thought I'd share some photos of the Fall decorating we've been doing around our new/old home. It's not much but it's been fun to add some small touches here and there. Scroll on down to see all of the photos... and sorry for the wacky formatting. Blogger is not my friend these days! I am not a fan of pumpkins with faces - I like to let my pumpkin decor work from late September clear through Thanksgiving... I just throw in a spider here and there during the month of October. And we actually like to cook our pumpkins around here: soups, pies, roasted in the oven with garlic and onions... whatever we can think of... so we always look forward to this time of year. And the apples? Love them! We've not really seen much Fall weather here yet, in fact it's hovering near 100 degrees today, but believe me we are ready, and I know it will be here soon. We love Fall!

Scary Little Ghosties

I am hosting a small gathering at my home this weekend, and in my preparations I've been getting into the Halloween spirit just a little earlier than usual. I made these little ghost cookies last night. They were quick and easy and I think they are adorable. Here's the "recipe":

1 package "Nutter Butter" Cookies
Almond Bark or Vanilla Candy Melts
Small amount of Mini Chocolate Chips

Handy tool to have around: wooden skewer

Melt almond bark in a large shallow dish. Put a handful of mini chocolate chips into a small bowl. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Using your thumb and index finger, pick up one cookie and dip just one flat surface into the melted almond bark. Lift, shake gently to remove excess coating, then turn it over so the coated side is facing up (you're still holding the cooking between your thumb and index finger). At this point, shake/wave your hand gently to smooth out the coating on the cookie, then gently place it onto the prepared sheet. Place mini chocolate chips for eyes (you can also add mouths. I did eyes only). Repeat with remainder of cookies. Use the wooden skewer to pop any air bubbles on the cookies and to move the cookies around on the sheet if needed (this keeps your fingers from messing up the cookies). Let cool to room temperature. Store tightly covered until ready to serve. 

The only knack to this is the "dip-flip-wave" procedure. Once you do it a couple times you will be a pro.

These cookies are kinda spooky and cute, no? Ok, so that's it for today. Time to run. Make today a good one!

"Eat, drink, and be scary!"  —unknown

Laugh or Cry? You Choose.

You either have to laugh or cry... oh, how true. I love this quote, and I want to live it. Some days I need to try harder. Working on it...

"Great Spirit, allow me to laugh when times get tough."  —Larry Aitken

"If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane."  —Robert Frost

"With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come."  —William Shakespeare

"Always laugh whenever you can."  —George Gordon Byron

"Laughter is carbonated holiness."  —Anne Lamott

Candy Corn II.

Maybe it's me. I'm having blogger issues these days, and I can't seem to format a post to save my life!! Just please ignore the big space at the top of this post. And the photos won't go where I want them. Whatever. It's free, so I guess this is what we get.) Ok, now that I've gotten that out of my system: Last night I completed my first attempt at a candy corn pillow, and here she is in all her glory! I deliberately left all of the edges raw and let them fray, and used a "rustic" zig-zag stitch for added texture. I think if I make another pillow I will do a few things differently. I would make the whole thing a little smaller, and I would round the bottom edge so the finished pillow has more of an authentic candy corn shape. But other than that, I am mostly happy with the result. I am also thinking of making one out of fleece. We'll see how ambitious I get, what with all of my other projects these days. So anyhoo, this here pillow will be on its way to my Aunt Julie this week. Her birthday is not until October 3rd, and I am excited to get this done and out the door a little early. Yay! Let me know what you think... cute, no?

Yesterday was an exciting day here in NorCal. The Space Shuttle Endeavour, tethered to a 747 jumbo-jet, made a low fly-over downtown Sacramento and the valley on its way to its new permanent home at a museum in southern CA. We saw some awesome footage on the TV, then I raced out to try and see it with my own eyes but I missed it. Oh well... We did visit the Kennedy Space Center in Florida several years ago and we got to go inside a shuttle, so I guess we've already had our share of space thrills... but it was awesome to see some history happening yesterday, as that was the very last time one of our shuttles will fly.

OK, back to my yard work. Hope you all are having a super weekend. Fall is coming on fast around here and we have lots to do...

"Over everything connected with Autumn there lingers a golden spell."  —unknown

Motivational Monday: Let it Go.

Trust. Believe. Let it Go. These are some little words that can bring big change to our lives if we let them. Oh, but it's hard, isn't it? Oh, but it's so worth it. I make mistakes, and of course I am not perfect, nor am I always right, but I am trying. And something I've discovered in the process? It's not necessary to prove to the world (or anyone in particular) that you are right. Our human tendency is to want to shout our right-ness from the rooftops, and to convince everyone to agree with us, but my friends, all of that is pointless. I have learned that it's better to zip it and be humble and LET IT GO. If you are right, God knows it, and being right with God is all that matters. Really. Truth is truth, no matter what anyone says or thinks, and everything will work out in the end. It can take lots of faith and courage... we still might be misunderstood, maybe even hated for a while, and we still may lose people we love and have our hearts broken. But in the grand-ness of life, that's all ok. All we have to do is the best we can, and sometimes that means letting go. And letting go can be beautiful. 

“Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.”  —Deborah Reber

“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”  —Steve Maraboli

“Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go, and then do it.”  —Ann Landers

“I’ve been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long. I’m moving on.”  —Rascal Flatts

Candy Corn.

I have to admit, I am not a big candy corn fan. Now believe me, there are plenty of other candies that I LOVE (too many!), so don't cry for me. But even though I don't really eat candy corn doesn't mean I don't think they aren't cute as buttons. Anyhoo, last year I shared this candy corn template, which can be used for many fun purposes (click on it, copy and paste it, enlarge it, and go to town!). This year I am actually making the large candy corn-shaped pillow I talked about last year, and I am sending it to my awesome aunt Julie for her birthday that's coming up in early October. And I may make one for myself while I'm at it. I picked out an orange, a yellow, and on off-white print fabric and am piecing them together. It's coming along nicely, and I will share soon. Stay tuned for photos.

Lots of house fix-up projects going on these days. I have been refinishing the cabinets in one of our bathrooms with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (color: "old ochre"), distressed with a warm wax finish. I have to say that I LOVE ANNIE SLOAN PAINT! Love it. LOVE. My new favorite, hands down. Go get yourself some. I bought mine HERE.

OK, time to get back to work. Hope y'all are loving life! Can't wait for Fall!

"FALL: crisp and golden as an apple."  —J.K. Rowling

Word.

  (DISCLAIMER: Blogger is being dorky today and for some reason I can't format this post the way I want it... but you get the idea. Sorry.)

This past week the Impression Obsession design team has had a "My Favorite Quote" challenge going on. Several of the ladies have created cards featuring my quote stamps in their designs. After all, I am pretty much the go-to "word lady" around these parts, but it's still a great honor that these talented gals chose to use my designs in their cards. Pictured here is just one example from Daniela Dobson, but you can also visit the blogs of Laura Fulcher, Vicki Garrett, and Jeanne Streiff to see more. Thanks ladies for your beautifully creative cards! Love them. HERE is where you can browse all of my currently-available stamp designs, including all of the awesome (if I do say so myself) new Fall and Winter items! Take a look. They are fun. Especially THIS one, also pictured below (it's a best seller and sure to make your Halloween extra scary!)  


So it's beginning to look and feel a little like Fall around here, and I'm starting to want to put up some Fall decorations around our new-old house. Rich and I were strolling through Pottery Barn the other day and I saw these amazing faux pumpkins in the most gorgeous colors (burnt umber, ocean blue, ochre, and several shades of golden-orange). Of course they were well out of my price range ($50 and up) so I went to a few area craft stores and purchased some faux pumpkins of my own, some acrylic paints in the appropriate colors, and some spray varnish, and I'm going to attempt to re-create the PB magic on a shoestring budget. If they turn out well I may just share some photos. Stay tuned...  

OK, well, back to my Saturday chores. Lots to do around here, lots to do!

PS - stay tuned for some new Halloween ideas. It's gonna be a spooooooky season!

"No Spring nor Summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one Autumnal face!"  —John Donne

"Oh how we love pumpkin season... We anxiously await it every year!"  —Trader Joe

I Have a Funny Husband...

Rich and I were standing in the kitchen this evening, and he said to me, "so, now that the kids are gone, what do we do now? I guess we'll just sit around and stare at each other for the rest of our lives." And then he made a face like this guy right here ..............................

Yep, kids are gone. Nothing to do now. Nope, nothing at all. Not. One. Single. Thing. Ha ha ha.

But seriously, I am so grateful for Rich. Our kids are blessed to have the best dad! He is patient, loving, honest, and always dependable. Best of all, he loves God and always strives to do the right thing. Rich is just awesome and I love him more than words can say! I thank the Lord every day for my eternal companion... even if he just may be a vampire... oh well, what can you do. ;-)

"Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them."  —Lady Bird Johnson

"To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself."  —Josh Billings

Living Life...

Just stopping in for a quick post. It's been a pretty good week so far. I'm just doing what I do, loving my hubby and kids in the best way I know how, trying to keep up with my responsibilities, trying to work hard and be good, and taking each day as it comes... and that's what makes me happy. Isn't life grand?

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he has been robbed. The fact is that most putts don't drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just like people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, and most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. Life is just like an old time rail journey... delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to the thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."  —Jenkins Lloyd Jones

The Word Is: Empty

Well, they're both gone. Tonight will be the first night in the (almost) 23 years since Rich and I became parents that neither of our two children are living with us. Neither of them has a "room" in our home any more, and this is how they want it. This is quite a strange time. I feel a new chapter of my life beginning and I do not know what to expect, how to act, or what to do. Here's some of what I am feeling (in no particular order)...

Happy. Sad. Excited. Worried. Relieved. Nervous. Concerned. Panicked. Free.

So, will I sleep better tonight, or will I worry more? Will I have the wisdom to do this right? Will I know what to pray for? Can I adjust my grocery purchasing habits? Can I let go of them the way I know I need to? Can I trust them? Have I done enough? Have I done too much? Will they be okay? Will they make good choices? Will they appreciate us more now, and will they finally start to "get it?"

All of these things, I don't know. Time will tell. Wish me well. This is weird.

"It kills you to see them grow up, but I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't."  —Barbara Kingsolver

"If you have never been hated by your child then you have never been a parent."  —Bette Davis

"Don't handicap your children by making their lives too easy."  —Robert Heinlein

"There are two last bequests we can give our children: one is roots, the other is wings."  —Hodding Carter, Jr.

Time Out...

It's time to take a little blogging break. I'll be back. Hope y'all are enjoying your summer.

Later dudes...

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down."  —Lily Tomlin

"Give your stress wings and let it fly away."  —Guillemets

"A break is what you take when you can't take what you've been taking any longer."  —anonymous

Empty Nest?

Do they always fly on their own? Do they sometimes need a shove? Is it okay? When? How? What? Why?

Today was a hard day... okay, well if I'm being honest, this whole year has been pretty stinkin' rough. Not getting into details here; let's just say that being the parent of young adult children is excruciating in every way possible. And I thought childbirth was painful...

And now for a nap.

"Perhaps that's what it means to be a parent: to teach your child, day by day, to learn to live without you."  —Nicole Krauss

"Parenthood is what happens when everything is flipped over and spilling everywhere and you can't find a towel or a sponge or your 'inside' voice."  —Kelly Corrigan

"Do not let the lures or the irritants of the moment draw you away from your family."  —Spencer W. Kimball

"Being a parent is dirty and scary and beautiful and hard and miraculous and exhausting and thankless and joyful and frustrating all at once. It's everything."  —Jill Smokler

Recovering Slowly...

I've been slowly recovering, and I've a ways to go. Had surgery on my jaw two weeks ago today. It's an owie and it's been no fun at all. Not able to do much, eat much or sleep much. Thank goodness that the Olympics have been on TV... lounging on the sofa and watching the tube are about all I can manage these days.

Have you seen this commercial? It makes me cry every time... So cute and so true!

OK, time to go rest and watch more Olympics. Go USA!!

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well."  —Pierre de Coubertin 

"The triumph cannot be had without the struggle."  —Wilma Rudolph

Smile

When life gets hectic and challenging as it often does, do you sometimes need to be reminded to slow down, relax and smile? I know I do... so today I thought I'd show you another of my new stamp sets just released by Impression Obsession: This one is called simply SMILE. Here's a card designed by IO design team member Julie Koerber which features this set. I love the layering of images and also the cheerful color combination that Julie used on this card. Well done, Julie, and very cute! Go HERE to get your set today, and don't forget to smile!

Let's make it a good day.

"Peace begins with a smile."  —Mother Teresa

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."  —Thich Nhat Hahn

New Fall & Winter Goodies

Hey - It's been a rough month, sorry for not posting for a while. I am recovering from some oral surgery that involved my lower jaw and it's been no fun...

Anyhoo, in spite of my sore mouth I am excited about my new stamp designs that were unveiled at the CHA convention in Chicago last week! Daniela Dobson and the other design team gals over at Impression Obsession have been putting out some sweet sample cards using my stamps so I thought I'd share one of those today. This card features my "Winter Banner" stamp. Such fun, and so versatile! Love it. There are lots of other new Fall & Winter goodies as well - hop on over to IO and check them out!

Ok, well, I gotta run. Are we all enjoying our summer? How quickly time is flying by... There are so many things about summer that I love, and right up there on the list is fresh fruit. I ate the most luscious peach yesterday... even though I had to cut it into tiny pieces to fit it into my sore mouth, it was delightful! Yummmmmmm.

Hugs!

"In Summer, the song sings itself."  —William Carlos Williams

Stop It!

We all love motivational posters, don't we? Well, here's the best one I've seen since Awesomeness. Here you go. Read it, learn it, do it:

"This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!"   
                           — President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2012 General Conference

Poster Source: ModernMormonMen.com

Happy Independence Day!

Hurrah for the flag of the free!
May it wave as our standard forever,
The gem of the land and the sea,
The banner of the right.
Let despots remember the day
When our fathers with mighty endeavor
Proclaimed as they marched to the fray
That by their might and by their right
It waves forever.

Sing out for liberty and light,
Sing out for freedom and the right.
Sing out for Union and its might,
O patriotic sons.
Other nations may deem their flags the best
And cheer them with fervid elation,
But the flag of the North and South and West
Is the flag of flags, 

The flag of Freedom's nation.

              —John Philip Sousa (1897)

                 "The Stars and Stripes Forever"

I Remember This.

And oh how I wish I could go back to those days, if just for a little while. I don't know if I could have loved them any more, and I don't know what I would have done differently, but I think I would like to go and see. Their soft cheeks and hair, their smells, their little voices...

How I love my babies.

"A baby is born with a need to be loved, and never outgrows it."  —Frank Howard Clark

Life is Hard Sometimes...

 But be happy anyway. And do the right thing. It's worth it.

“And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”  —Mosiah 2:41

The Word is: HOME

 Just got home (last night) from a trip to Utah to visit my sweet sweet grandmother, aunt, uncle, cousins, and friends. It was a good time, and I had great intentions of taking lots of photos. I even had my camera in my bag the entire time... and how many pictures did I take? That would be, um, zeeeerrro. What a bad blogger I am. I was just having so much fun visiting with everyone, and I just never ever EVER think to take pictures until it's too late. I need to change that. Bummer. 

So my grandmother has been patiently asking me, ever since we completed our kitchen remodel over a year ago, to show her some photos of our new-old home. And since Rich is so helpful and amazing, we did manage to get some photos last week of our home, that I was able to take with me to Utah. Here are a few of those. 

OK, well, It is WONDERFUL to be home. Today and the rest of the week will be filled with unpacking, laundry, housework, grocery shopping, and getting caught up on mom-work as well as work-work. Oh, and lots of hugging on Rich and my kiddos. I missed my family! Life is so good and I am so very blessed. Time to run... 

"Where we love is home."  —Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

For Carrie

My friend Carrie and her family are moving away. Her hubs Mike is taking over the family business in another state so they are headed east. I will miss them! On top of being a wonderful, smart, witty, funny and faithful friend, Carrie is an English teacher extraordinaire and also is cute as can be, with great hair and fashion sense. And she's an awesome daughter of God. I will also miss the oh-so-fun Christmas parties she and Mike would host every year... the holidays just won't be the same without that shindig!

I created this subway art piece as a good-bye gift for Carrie and her family (I erased her street address here; it's there on the real piece). I plan to offer custom designs like this in my etsy shop (when I get to it) but if anyone is interested now, please email me at the address over there ———> and we can talk. I'd love to create one for you! Any occasion, or just because, and you can get it in whatever size, font (or combo of fonts) and color you like (I would send you a pdf and you would do the printing).

So... farewell for a time to our dear Carrie. We've been through a lot together, our little group of bag hags. May you have lots of fun and good living in your new town! Love you bunches.

“A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.”  —William Shakespeare

Today I am Thankful...

...For seat belts, and showers, and washer-dryers, and air-conditioning, and soft mattresses, and friends, and avocado egg rolls, and cheesecake, and love.

...For jokes, and laughter, and gardens, and reliable cars, and fresh vegetables, and comfortable shoes, and sometimes when I just gotta have some: diet coke.

...For my house, and my clothes, and my food, and my computer, and for scriptures, and for knowledge, and for life.

...For Rich, and Stephanie, and David, and my Savior, and for tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

(artwork soon available as a rubber stamp, coming this Fall from Impression Obsession)

"Life is full of give and take. Give thanks and take nothing for granted."  —unknown

So Apparently I Bug My Kids...

And sometimes they say I am mean... but hey, what can you do.

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together.  —Pearl S. Buck

Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn't know you had, and dealing with fears you didn't know existed.  —Linda Wooten

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along.  —Margaret Culkin Banning

Grown don't mean nothing to a mother.  A child is a child.  They get bigger, older, but grown?  What's that suppose to mean?  In my heart it don't mean a thing.  —Toni Morrison

William

Hi - just had to share this video that Julie (William's sweet mama) posted of William singing in the car. It's awesome. This is from last year - William recorded himself on Julie's phone as they were driving home through their neighborhood. Tomorrow is the memorial service (Celebration of Life) for William. I'm sure that boy is in Heaven right now running, jumping, and feeling good...  as he should!

"Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads."  —Henry David Thoreau

Looking Ahead.

Well here it is, June already. 2012 is almost halfway over. It's crazy! So much has happened this year, some good and some not-so-good, but my oh my has time been flying by. It very well could be true that I am getting old....... yep.

This is the time of year when we put the finishing touches on our new stamp designs for Fall and Winter, since the big release happens at CHA next month in Chicago. So that's where most of my mind has been: designing for the coming seasons. It's fun but it also has a way of making time seem to pass even MORE quickly, living with my brain focused five and six months into the future. Anyhoo, I thought today I would share a sneak peek from one of my new Thanksgiving sets. Some swell new stuff is coming from Impression Obsession, and I also have lots of other things in the works. That Kalani chick has been busy!

OK - time to go water my garden. Even though I have Fall & Winter on the brain, it's still SUMMER here in NorCal so I better go soak up some of that lovely sunshine! Hugs.

“Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly.” —Pablo Neruda

My Hero.

William, you are my hero. What an honor it's been to know you and your awesome family. You have fought the good fight and you made a huge difference for good in this world, now you are free to rest (and run, and play) without pain. Julie and Ryan, you are amazing, incredible, strong, courageous parents and I love you. There really are no more words. May you have peace.

"A human life is a story told by God."  —Hans Christian Andersen

"We must embrace our grief and burn it as fuel for our journey."  —Miyazawa

"Life is eternal, love is immortal, and families are forever."  —unknown

That's What I'm Talkin' About!

Hey America...

Motherhood

Just thinking today about motherhood, and what that means over the years as our children grow. My children are now both in their twenties, but in many ways I feel the weight, the responsibility, and the duties of motherhood in a more serious way now than when they were small. It's been such a fascinating process, having these children of mine start out so tiny and helpless, and now 22 years later, where are we and what have we become? 

Anyway... nothing incredibly profound to say today, just that I love being a mother and I am awe-struck by all the many things that motherhood entails. So in honor of motherhood, here's a bit of a sneak-peek at a new design coming sometime later this year, and I do believe that it applies to children and mothers of all ages, uh-huh. I know that you moms of older kids will agree... Can I get a what-what?

Loving and caring and praying for my kiddos, no matter their age, every day until I die. Yep.

"Motherhood is priced of God, at price none may dare to lessen or misunderstand."  —Helen Fiske Jackson

May 20: What??

Zoooooooooom, where has this month gone? I have been so busy with this and that, but I can't believe it's May 20 already. Work, kids, college admissions & student loans (booooo), friends with birthdays, two funerals, several ongoing projects around the house, Mother's day (thank you to my family for making me feel so special!), a puppy (don't ask), and life in general have kept me running. I am trying to remember to count my blessings amid the chaos... And summer weather has definitely arrived, so we're trying to stay cool.

This weekend, thankfully, has been mostly quiet and relaxing. I did almost nothing, which was almost nice. This evening here in NorCal we watched as the moon almost covered the sun in what they call an "annular eclipse," and it was way cool. The light outside at full eclipse (6:32pm local time) was indescribable, so I won't try to describe it, and Rich took some awesome photos in our backyard. Of course we did not look directly into the sun because we didn't want to go blind, but we learned from our friendly neighborhood meteorologist that the sun would make neat little crescent patterns when shining through the trees (as you can see in these photos). It was a rare sight and it was amazing. What a wonderful world...

All right, time to go relax (some more). Hugs to all!

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."  —Buddha

Twenty-Four.

Twenty-four years ago today I married my sweetie. Thank you Rich for being you, for loving me no matter what, for giving me two amazing children, for your patience, for your goodness, for your loyalty, and for your continued willingness to travel through life with me. You are mine, and I love you. Forever.

"What a happy and holy fashion it is that two people who love each other should rest on the same pillow."  —Nathaniel Hawthorne

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."  —Mignon McLaughlin

Idol Worship.

I have to say it: there's just something about that Phillip Phillips and his left shoulder. Oh, and I like the way he sings, too.

He. Da. Bomb.

"I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts, like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood, it was a force already within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me, like food or water."  —Ray Charles

Just Enjoying the View...

Here's some of what's growing in my front yard right now. Thanks to my sweetie Rich for the beautiful photos. And yes, the sky really IS that blue! For reals.

...and I think to myself: 'what a wonderful world!'

"I love Spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden."  —Ruth Stout

"Every Spring is a perpetual 
astonishment."  —Ellis Peters